'Namgis First Nation and the Village of Alert Bay Tides of ChangeEconomic Initiative MilestonesApril 25, 2016

CORMORANT ISLAND, BC - A unique First Nation - non-First Nation community partnership is marking the first anniversary of a joint economic initiative by recognizing its concrete successes.The 'Namgis First Nation and the Village of Alert Bay are neighbours on Cormorant Island. A year ago they launched an economic development plan to help turn the tide on the island's declining economy.

The plan, called Tides of Change, was the result of months of work and ideas from more than 200 of approximately 1000 Cormorant Island residents.

'Namgis Councillor Kelly Speck is chair of the joint 'Namgis-Village committee that oversees implementation. "We have a long history of working together on this island," says Speck. "Residents built on that with tremendous participation, excellent ideas, and strong commitment to making Tides of Change work. This is everyone's future."The partner communities expect it will take about five years to implement the plan completely. But even after one year, there are significant achievements. They include new banking services from Vancity Credit Union after the previous credit union closed its branch, new signs for historic and cultural features, new green initiatives including solar power, new summer markets and a new tourism website.

Alert Bay Mayor Mike Berry says, "This island is unique, culturally, socially and economically. We don't want to take any of that for granted. So an important part of the plan is to strengthen what we have for ourselves, and then find ways to share it."There's also movement into new areas. One is a pilot program to support and train entrepreneurs designed by Reconciliation Canada. It includes educators from SFU's Beedie School of Business RADIUS program, a resident coasch recruited by Cuso International, training by Community Futures Mount Waddington and Vancity, and funding from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Ten proposals to create or grown businesses were selected for the six-month program, underway now.

"We're planning a new economic path that combines established opportunities and new ones, built on shared values," says 'Namgis elected chief Debra Hanuse. "A sustainable economy requires collaboration, and our history and relationship with the Village of Alert Bay provides a solid foundation to build on."Next steps in the Tides of Change roll-out will likely include breaking ground on new agricultural activity, capacity development, and support for local artists.

The 'Namgis First Nation and the Village of Alert Bay are grateful to ICET, Island Coastal Economic Trust, for providing the crucial planning funding that launched the Tides of Change project.

WHAT MAKES TIDES OF CHANGE UNIQUEA national program called CEDI, that encourages collaboration between First Nations and municipalities, identifies only two joint economic development plans in Canada, one of the two being Cormorant Island's Tides of Change. But Tides of Change is unique in that it's rooted in decades-old relationships between individuals and governments from the island's neighbouring communities. CEDI uses Tides of Change as a model in its toolkit, even though it is not part of the CEDI program.http://www.fcm.ca/Documents/reports/CED ... kit_EN.pdf

Here are some examples of joint 'Namgis-Village initiatives:Cormorant Island Economic Development Society 1988Cormorant Island Garbage Collection/Recycling 1998Alert Bay Accord 1999 (reaffirmed in 2012)Historic Alert Bay Development Corporation 2000Cormorant Island Sewer System 2003All students of the 'Namgis T’lisalagi’lakw School and the Alert Bay School sing togetherhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqmY3QannCA

ABOUT CORMORANT ISLANDCormorant Island, or 'Yalis in the Kwak'wala language, lies off the northeast end of Vancouver Island. It was a centre of settlement and commerce for thousands of years, as a seasonal village for many Kwakwaka'wakw people, including 'Namgis. Then colonial settlers arrived. By the 1870s, 'Namgis and settlers established the permanent community of Alert Bay.

For 100 years Cormorant Island was the centre of business, government and culture for a large area of the coast. By 2000, the building of the Island Highway and federal fishing licence buybacks had radically changed this previously affluent island. Since then, the two governments have worked together to meet the goals of the Alert Bay Accord to revive the island economy and support the richness of its way of life.

Today Cormorant Island is home to roughly 1000 people, about 550 on 'Namgis reserves, and 450 in the Village of Alert Bay. The whole island is roughly 420 hectares large. About 250 hectares is under 'Namgis First Nation jurisdiction and 170 hectares under the Village of Alert Bay. It is the home to the world-renown Umista Cultural Centre and hosts almost 10,000 visitors a year from all over the world.